


galatea of wires

by starkly



Series: you've been thunderstruck [22]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Androids, Artificial Intelligence, Inspired by Pygmalion and Galatea (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28280637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: “And what do you want me to do now that you've made me?”Love me the way I love you, Tony doesn’t say.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Thor
Series: you've been thunderstruck [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064666
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	galatea of wires

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2020 and [posted here](https://aleator.tumblr.com/post/636015627422859264) on my tumblr writing blog. This fic was proofread before being uploaded here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Prompts taken from the AU-gust 2020 challenge list on Twitter. Day Twenty-Two: Futuristic AU.

Every night Tony works in secret. Building an AI--a true AI--isn’t exactly legal, but that’s never stopped Tony. He created the coding first, building off the more primitive AI codes he’d programmed over the years. As his code progressed, he felt like a true AI living in a computer wasn’t good enough. So he began to craft a body for the AI, salvaging parts in the junkyard under cover of night, upgrading and improving upon what he found.

He doesn’t name the AI right away. Nothing good has come to him yet, and he wants to see how the AI turns out before he gives it a name. Gives him a name. So he just calls him Mr. Roboto, talking to him as he works. The AI can’t hear him, but it makes Tony feel less alone.

Because that’s why Tony is doing all this, he supposes. Risking it all for the chance to create real, virtual life. So maybe he won’t be quite so lonely.

When it’s time to build the casing for the frame, to make this body human, Tony may let a few of his biases dictate how things go. He designs a man who is tall and broad, with long blond hair and electric blue eyes and a smile he knows will be so sweet. He crafts every detail with care, and by the time he’s finished, he knows he’s created the most breathtaking man in all of existence.

When at last there’s nothing left to perfect, body and mind completed as separate entities, it’s time to bring them together as one. Tony stands in front of his creation, looking up at that beautiful face, and wishes he had someone to pray to that would make this work. But he has only himself and his ingenuity, so that will have to be enough.

Taking a deep breath, he initiates the final sequencing and waits.

Nothing happens for what feels like eternity, then the AI opens his eyes and Tony finally lets out that breath he was holding.

“Hi,” he says quietly, staring at the blond god before him. “How do you feel?”

The AI turns to look at him, not saying anything, and Tony desperately wishes he could see what’s going on in that pretty head of his.

“Cold,” the man says at last, looking down at himself. “Why am I naked?”

Tony laughs, unable to help it. There will need to be extensive testing done, but maybe… Maybe he actually succeeded. He grabs a blanket off the back of a chair and throws it up around the android’s shoulders, wrapping him in it.

“In true human fashion, you’re cast out into the world naked and asking questions,” he says, securing the blanket around him. “Maybe I should name you Adam.”

His android frowns and Tony raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t like that? All right, well, I had been considering Apollo…” It seemed fitting, seeing how godly and beautiful Tony had made him.

There’s silence again, then the AI says decisively, “Thor.”

And who is Tony to argue with possibly the most advanced artificial intelligence on the whole planet?

“Nice to meet you, Thor,” Tony replies, smiling wide. “I’m Tony.”

“You made me,” Thor says, stepping closer to him. He’s still holding the blanket closed with one hand. “Why?”

That isn’t a question Tony’s expecting at all and he blinks, trying to find a suitable answer. “At first it was to prove that I could do it. But once I started I couldn’t imagine stopping before you were finished. I knew you were going to be perfect.”

“And what do you want me to do now?”

Love me the way I love you, Tony doesn’t say.

“I have to make sure you’re actually functioning correctly,” is what he really says. “I don’t think there’s ever been anything like you before.”

In order to create a true AI, Tony hadn’t programmed in any of the standard safety features. Thor could betray him, hurt him, reveal to others what Tony had done--which would undoubtedly result in Thor being scrapped. He just had to trust that Thor would do what was right.

“Anyone like me,” Thor corrects him. “If I’m to blend in, I should be referred to as a person, yes?”

Tony smiles, pleased yet again. “Right. I’m sorry.”

Thor looks around, taking in Tony’s messy workshop. “You live alone?”

Tony winces slightly. “What makes you say that?”

“A number of things. I won’t bore you.” Thor steps even closer and brings a hand up to rest on Tony’s shoulder. “Thank you for bringing me into this world.”

“You probably won’t be saying that in a couple weeks when you see how shitty living is,” Tony jokes, but Thor just squeezes his shoulder.

In the following weeks, Tony puts Thor through every AI test he can think of and then some. Thor passes them all with flying colors, and with every new test Tony still can’t believe he actually did it. He created a real, human-passing artificial intelligence.

One he’s grown far too fond of over the weeks as well. If Thor was an Apollo then Tony was Icarus, flying too close to the sun only to fall into the ocean and drown from his hubris. Why did he create the perfect entity when that entity would never love him back? What makes Thor different from everyone else who’s been in Tony’s life?

“I take it I’ve successfully passed again?” Thor asks after they finish yet another test one evening.

Tony looks up from the tablet he’d been staring at, lost in thought. “Hm? Oh, yeah. Great job.”

“Then why do you look so unhappy?”

Tony debates telling him he wouldn’t understand, but damn it, he probably would. Tony has really outdone himself this time.

“It’s not important,” he says, shaking his head.

“I can’t see why you would think that,” Thor says. “Your feelings are important to me.”

“See?” Tony blurts, waving the tablet at him. “You’re too perfect.”

“Oh. Does that impact my ability to be seen as a human?”

Tony sighs and shakes his head again. “No, I mean, you’re perfect as an AI, yeah, but you’re just. Perfect to me too.”

“Is that not just love?” Thor asks, unperturbed.

Tony freezes, staring at him until he chokes out, “What?”

“If I truly pass as a human I must have flaws. But you believe I am perfect despite these flaws, or perhaps because of them. I was under the impression that was how love works.”

With a helpless laugh, Tony stares down at his tablet, embarrassed at being so obvious even his month-old AI figured him out. Maybe he was too good and created a way too powerful AI.

“Is this where I tell you that I feel the same way?” Thor asks. “Or would you prefer I wait until a more reasonable amount of time has passed?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tony scoffs. “You don’t have to say anything.”

Thor gets up and goes over to Tony, wrapping his arms around him in a hug. Tony curses himself for making Thor’s skin so soft.

“I notice you did not deny your feelings,” Thor says, gently rubbing the back of Tony’s neck. Tony basically melts in his arms, resting his head on Thor’s shoulder. Curse him for giving Thor such strong, broad shoulders too.

“What’s the point? You’re the world’s most sophisticated computer. You can probably tell if I lie.”

Thor leans back a little, looking Tony in the eye. “Is that all I am? A computer?”

Tony immediately shakes his head, reaching up to grip Thor’s shirt. “You’re so much more than that.”

Slowly, Thor starts to lean in again, and Tony leans up to close the distance between them, kissing him lightly on the lips. When they both lean back this time, Tony laughs in disbelief, bringing a hand up to touch his mouth.

“Well. I guess this could be another human lesson,” he says.

Thor tilts his head slightly to the side. “What is the lesson?”

“Humans are idiots,” Tony answers, and tugs Thor in for another kiss.


End file.
